In just a few hours, Indian authorities were forced to intervene and make two separate emergency landings on two different commercial aviation flights on Thursday, June 19. Two flights an IndiGo and a SpiceJet flight experienced issues less than two minutes after takeoff and subsequently had to do emergency safety procedures, raising yet more questions on the safety of air travel or indeed, the standards of maintenance for Indian aviation.
An IndiGo flight bound for Leh had to return to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport soon after takeoff. Flight 6E 2006, which departed Thursday morning with approximately 180 passengers and crew onboard, made a safe emergency landing back at the origin point. The airline later confirmed the issue in a statement, attributing the action to a technical problem.
“IndiGo flight 6E 2006 travelling from Delhi to Leh on June 19, 2025, was a return to origin due to technical delay,” the airline said. It also added that the crew followed standard safety procedures after an operational restriction, which banned the flight from landing in Leh.
Authorities arranged an alternate aircraft for the affected passengers to continue their journey. No injuries were reported, and the airline is investigating the technical problem. IndiGo confirmed that the aircraft involved was also undergoing a detailed inspection.
In another incident that day, a SpiceJet flight, SG 2696, from Hyderabad to Tirupati had a technical issue mid-air. The flight left Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 6:19 AM scheduled to arrive in Triputi at 7:40 am, but the pilots decided to turn back shortly after takeoff due to an alert in the cockpit.
According to SpiceJet’s official statement, the aircraft used was a Q400 turboprop, and the cockpit crew observed an intermittent illumination of the AFT baggage door light. While the cabin pressurisation remained normal, the pilots opted to return to the airport as a precautionary measure.
“As a precautionary measure, the pilots decided to return to Hyderabad. The aircraft landed safely and passengers were deplaned normally,” the airline said. An alternate aircraft was quickly arranged for the passengers to continue their journey to Tirupati.
Both events took place on the same day and both involved early morning flights, highlighting a concern about a trend in technical malfunctions on commercial flights. Emergency procedures were completed properly and the passengers were safe in both instances. However, the occurrence of both incidents back to back has renewed concerns into the safety protocol and checks of India’s expanding aviation sector.
With over 1,200 passengers and crew involved in both incidents combined, aviation authorities are expected to closely monitor the investigations. Both IndiGo and SpiceJet have stated that their technical teams are examining the aircraft involved to identify the root causes of the glitches.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been regularly issuing advisories and conducting audits, particularly after past incidents involving technical snags, emergency landings, and mid-air diversions. As air travel demand continues to surge in the country post-pandemic, these repeated glitches have raised questions on whether aircraft maintenance standards are being compromised under operational pressures.
IndiGo and SpiceJet are two of India’s major domestic airlines, which operate hundreds of flights each day. Both airlines have had previous incidents of in-flight malfunctions, but thankfully most were resolved without any loss or injury. Aviation safety experts are concerned that repeated mechanical malfunctions in a period of time warrant more serious maintenance inspections and clarity of flight safety records.
On June 19, passengers on both flights expressed their gratitude that the crew was able to calmly handle both incidents and safely land it. There was no panic and when they finally landed they were subject to the same deplaning protocols that any passenger would be subject to after a flight in a normal situation.
With aviation safety at the forefront, the above incidents can serve as rapidly emerging flashpoints for broader issues of aircraft reliability, crew technical training and mechanical inspections. While alternate aircrafts resulted in minimal schedule disruption to passengers, safety issues caused by these mid-air incidences are still under public scrutiny and governmental observations.
The airlines have reiterated their commitment to passenger safety and confirmed full cooperation with any follow-up audits or inquiries initiated by DGCA or relevant aviation bodies.
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